THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Thursday, March 23, 1995 TAG: 9503230037
SECTION: DAILY BREAK PAGE: E1 EDITION: FINAL
TYPE: Interview
SOURCE: BY CRAIG SHAPIRO, STAFF WRITER
LENGTH: Medium: 86 lines
ODDS ARE that Michael Crichton and Danielle Steel don't do talk radio at 5 a.m. Nathan McCall does, although he probably had time to unpack before a gig last Monday at a station in L.A.
Three hours later, he was back in his Beverly Hills hotel room.
``Man, I'm wiped out. I just got a strong shot of coffee and went for it.''
It's been a strange trip for the Portsmouth native, whose autobiography, ``Makes Me Wanna Holler: A Young Black Man in America,'' a painful and candid chronicle of choices, limitations and perceptions, was one of the most talked-about books of 1994. He returns to Norfolk Friday for a reading and signing.
McCall, 40, was raised in a stable home, yet was seduced by the streets. A long road of violent crime that began in Cavalier Manor led to a stretch in prison for armed robbery. That detour changed his life: After prison, McCall studied journalism at Norfolk State, then wrote for The Ledger-Star here and the Atlanta Journal-Constitution before joining The Washington Post in 1989.
The book has been out just more than a year; the paperback is No. 12 on the New York Times' list of best-sellers. And McCall recently signed a six-figure deal to write a screenplay for director John Singleton (``Boyz N the Hood'').
But through the TV and radio rounds, the magazine and newspaper profiles, he has held on to his inner compass. ``Holler'' was a self-inflicted catharsis.
``Had this happened years ago, I don't think I'd be able to handle it,'' McCall said. ``I can see how people get swept up and carried away by this, but I'm very clear about who I am.
``Every time I walk through the lobby of this hotel, people look at me wondering, `Who the hell is this?' I don't see any other black people unless they're pushing a cart or opening a door. It's just more insight into a world that isn't my world. I have no aspirations to become part of it, but it's still a trip.''
McCall broke into a laugh.
``The thing I think about most often when I'm riding through these streets is `The Beverly Hillbillies.' It's incredible. The images I used to see on TV I'm seeing now, and looking through the eyes of those damn hillbillies.''
The real rewards could never be measured in IRAs and seats in first-class, anyway, McCall said. Writing ``Makes Me Wanna Holler'' was hard. Old wounds were opened; lost friends were remembered. But he wouldn't compromise. In an interview last year, he said, ``I knew I would be cheating myself and would never be able to live with myself if I told half truths.''
Simply, he wanted to make a statement. Evidently, people listened.
``I get a lot of people, especially black men, saying that I touched them in different ways,'' McCall said. ``On the radio today, (callers) were saying, `Hey man, you told my story.' Often, these are people who never get to see their opinions, perceptions or experiences validated in any way. It means a lot to see that happen, to see that done in print. I know the feeling.
``The response has been very rewarding. It has sort of reinforced for me that I did the right thing, especially about being so open and revealing so much.''
Hollywood is a different animal. McCall, who has finished a first draft of his script, can't help but think about the stakes at risk.
``They've already forewarned me,'' he said. ``It could go through 15 different writers. I'm not anxious yet. When I did this story I knew it was my story. Now it goes from me knowing it to someone trying to interpret it. Instinctively, you feel something will get lost in the process.''
Having Singleton in his corner has helped. ``Boyz N the Hood'' was hailed for its uncompromising look at growing up hard in South Central Los Angeles. Singleton became the youngest director to be nominated for an Academy Award.
``When you look at Hollywood and see a lot of what they do is formula and hype, there's nothing to say they won't take that formula and hype and impose it on my story,'' McCall said. ``But (Singleton) has as good a chance at being able to interpret it as anybody.''
McCall will have a few weeks off before heading out again. The Post, he said, has given him extended leave to ``ride this out.''
``It feels like a dream you're having while you're awake. It just dawns on me,'' McCall said. ``What hasn't happened is me saying that I'm no longer part of Cavalier Manor. It will always be the place I'm most comfortable. This world is make-believe. This ain't the real world.'' ILLUSTRATION: Former Ledger-Star reporter Nathan McCall writes about a stretch
he had in prison.
by CNB